Heel breast covering clamping device



Feb. 20, 1940. G. F. LYBROOK HEEL BREAST COVERING CLAMPING DEVICE Filed Sept. 30, 1938 INVENTOR.

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Patented Feb. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE HEEL BREAST COVERING CLAMPING DEVICE George Fredrick Lybrook, South Portsmouth, Ky. Application September 30, 1938, Serial No. 232,62

. 4 Claims.

This invention relatesto the manufacture of shoes and is particularly directed to a clamping device to facilitate the application of heel breast coverings to womens shoes.

:5 The heel breast covering usually consists of a rearwardly extended portion of the sole, split and applied to the breast of the heel adhesively, as a continuation of the sole of the shoe. This practice is well known in the art and provides a neatly 10 finished bottom surface of uniform color and grain.

In the manufacture of shoes, the operation of applying the breast coveringknown in the trade as grain laying, usually follows the heel attach At this time, the breast of the heel and the untrimmed split sole'extension or breast cover are given a coating of adhesive such as glue, and the cover is then laid upon the face of the heel breast. Following this operation, a clamp may be applied over the covering to press it against the breast surface while the adhesive sets.

The improved clamping device of this invention is intended for use in holding the covering in place against the heelbreast, under pressure, while the adhesive coating sets. The device is preferably (but not necessarily) usedfin connection with wood heels, the covering being applied to the heel breast after the heel it attached to 10 the shoe and while the shoe is still lasted. The improved clamp constitutes a unit in itself, re

quires no outside, pressure-applying element, and need not be attached to a fixed support. The pressure is applied directlyto the heel breast,

l6 tension being applied between the heel and the top of the last upon which the device is engaged. The clamp is quickly and readily applied and the shoe may then be placed in the rack for a period of time to allow the adhesive film to set, after I) which the clamp may be removed. By utilizingthe last of the shoe as an anchoring point for the clamp, distortion or marring of the shoeis avoided.

It has been an object of the present invention to provide a small, light-weight, breast-covering clampwhich is applied directly upon a lasted shoe without adding any appreciable bulk to the shoe. The construction of the device obviates the necessity for a stationary clamping fixture with a o resultant saving in floor space and capital investment.

It has been another objectto provide a clamp of the type indicated, which may be readily applied or removed by hand, but which may be i so securely positioned that the shoe can be moved place.

It has been another object to provide a heel clamp of the type indicated which applies a uniform pressure over the entire surface of the heel breast and effectively prevents any wrinkling or buckling of the breast covering.

Other objects and further advantages will be more fully set forth in the specification, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a. lasted shoe with the improved breast clamp in place thereon.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the clamp removed from the shoe.

-Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the heel portion of the shoe showing the clamp applied thereon.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, the shoe is indicated generally at I'll, the last at H, and the heel at l2. The clamping device, indicated generally at I3, is shown in place on the lasted shoe.

The clamping device is composed of a supporting yoke or stirrup M, which straddles the heel. A sheet of material or webbing 22, is afiixed to the arms of the yoke and is held firmly positioned against the heel breast by an elastic loop or band l5, which encircles the heel portion of the shoe and is engaged against the top edge or corner of the last. The elastic band forms a loop having the opposite lower ends secured to the yoke M. The. upper, or looped-over portion of the band engages the corner of the last, having for this purpose a line of stitching l6 conforming to the shape of the corner. This line of stitching securely engages the last and holds the loop or band against displacement. The upper end of the loop is provided with a finger hold or tab I'l, formed by inserting a short section of solid material, such as wood, indicated at l8 on Figure 6, between the two lines of cross stitching, indicated at l9.

The band or loop i5 is formed of elastic mathe necessary tension to hold the webbing firmly in contact with the heel.

The yoke i l may be formed from a length of wire or rod, bent to a generally U-shaped configuration. The side arms are bent ,angularly adjacent to the light or cross member of the yoke as at 2E5, thereby'positioning the cross member against the instep or arch of the shoe. The cross member may be covered with a resilient tubing 2|, preferably of soft rubber, to protectthe arch of the shoes against marring. The arms of the yoke carry a sheet of fabric, indicated at .22, which may be of yieldable or elastic fabric. The fabric may be attached to the yoke 'by inserting the yoke arms in a hem formed alongthe opposite side edges of the sheet, as defined by the The center lines of stitching 23 (see Figure 2). portion of the elastic sheet may include a contact pad 25 stitched or otherwise secured thereto and shaped to conform to the outline of the heel breast. The purpose of this pad is to fill in the center portion of the heel, particularly when the heel breast is concave in transverse cross section as shown in Figure 5. The contact pad 25 may beformed of yieldable material such as rubber and should be adapted to conform to various types of heel breast cross sections whether square or concave.

As previously stated, the clamping device is applied by hand, the loop 53 being grasped at the finger hold H with the webbing in'place against the heel. The loop is' then slipped over the rear portion of the shoe and engaged upon the last. The cross member 2| of the yoke I4 in contact with the instep or arch portion of the shoe acts as a fulcrum point to rockthe yoke rearwardly, thus disposing the fabric pressure sheet or webbing in firm contact with the breast covering. The upper portion of the breast in the area where the heel breast and the arch are joined, is firmly pressed in place by the portion of the fabric sheet at the corner section 20 of the'side'elements. By this arrangement, the application of pressure to the heel breast is substantially uniform over the full length of the heel.

The usual course of manufacture'is to apply the breast covering to the heel before it is trimmed to the exact shape of the heel. After the, clamping device is removed, the heel breast covering is trimmed to size by following the edges heel, as shown in Figure 5, the heel breast cover is'securely affixed along the corners of the heel, thus insuring a neat job after the trimming operation previously described.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that the cost of manufacture of the clamping devices is so small that a shoe manufacturer may utilize them in considerable quantities and thereby dispense with the use of large and expensive clamps of the permanent type which require a substantial amount of floor space and represent a considerable capital investment. Likewise, the course of shoe manufacture is simplified, as shoes on which the clamps are positioned may be "worked upon almost as readily as if the clamp were not there.

Having fully described my invention, I claim: 1. In a device for clamping a heel breast covering in place, in combination, a yoke adapted to straddle the heel of a shoe, a sheet of elastic Webbing'between the arms of the yoke, and means 2. A heel breast covering clamp comprising a yoke, a sheet of material carried by said yoke for engaging the heel breast, said sheet of material having a pressure applying pad secured thereon and adapted to conform to the transverse cross section of a heel breast, and means for holding said pad positioned against a heel breast, said means including an elastic loop secured to the yoke and adapted to encircle the heel portion of the'shoe.

3. A device for, clamping a heel breast covering to a heel'breast upon a lasted shoe and com prising a yoke portion adapted to straddle the heel of a shoe having a sheet of webbing affixed to the arms thereof, and means for holding said webbing positioned against the heel breast under pressure, said means including aloop secured to the yoke and adapted to fit over the upper heel portion of the last. 4'. A device for clamping a heel breast covering to a heel breast upon a lasted shoe, said device comprising a yoke havingbent arms, said arms being adapted to straddle the heel of the shoe, a sheetof material secured between said arms, and a pressure applying member secured to said I yoke and adapted to engage the upper portion of a last for holding said sheet of material firmly positioned against the heel breast.

GEORGE FREDRICK LYBROOK. 

